Educator Astronaut Program Continues
Undeterred by the tragic loss of the space shuttle Columbia
and its seven crewmembers on February 1, teachers continue to apply
for NASA's Educator Astronaut program, which is designed to select
and train three to six teachers for space missions. On the day Columbia
broke apart on re-entry, more than 100 students, friends, and family
members nominated teachers to be Educator Astronauts. Since February
1, NASA has received more than 1,000 teacher nominations. The program
remains on schedule, even though shuttle launches are on indefinite
hold while the investigation into the Columbia accident continues.
Included: Information about how to apply for
the Educator Astronaut program.
The second loss of a space shuttle and its crew in 17 years has raised doubts in some circles about the need for manned space flight.
But not among educators.
Launched just a few weeks before the February 1 loss of the Columbia,
the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA's) Educator
Astronaut program has seen a steady, if not accelerated, stream
of applications since the shuttle accident.
"Some people have said they want to go even more now," according
to Dwayne Brown, a spokesman for NASA's Educator Astronaut program.
"Nothing has changed on the [program's] timetable. Yes, this is
a tragedy; but the astronauts were doing something they absolutely
loved, and they knew space travel was risky."
The deadline for nominations and applications is April 30, 2003.
By early 2004, NASA plans to select for the program three to six
teachers with backgrounds in mathematics, science, technology, or
engineering.
Educator Astronauts will be charged with conveying the wonders
of space exploration to our nation's youth, and with inspiring more
students to pursue careers in mathematics, science, engineering,
and technology.
"It's learning in a whole new light," added Dwayne Brown. "Who
better to inspire the next generation than a teacher?"
WE HAVE LIFT OFF
Interest in the educator astronaut program has been high from
the beginning; two days after announcing the Educator Astronaut
initiative, NASA was receiving about 100 nominations a day, Dwayne
Brown told Education World. In the week following the January 21
announcement, NASA already had received 218 resumes, and almost
50,000 unique visitors had logged on to its Web site, said Deborah
Brown, a former teacher and co-manager of the Educator Astronaut
program.
"I just think teachers and students are fascinated by the subject
matter," said Deborah Brown about the response. "I've always said,
you can use space and dinosaurs to teach a kid about anything. This
is a chance for teachers to discover more and learn more."
"The country is aware of the importance of math and science,"
Dwayne Brown said. "People understand the importance of space exploration
and teaching the next generation of explorers. Once we fully understand
what happened [to the Columbia], we will move forward."
A NEW CORE MISSION
Education always has been an important part of NASA's work, but
in April 2002, five months after taking office, NASA administrator
Sean O'Keefe named education one of the space agency's core
missions. "Today, America has a serious shortage of young people
entering the fields of mathematics and science," O'Keefe said during
an address at Syracuse University. "This critical part of our mission
is to inspire the next generation of explorers so that our work
can go on. This educational mandate is an imperative."
"The Educator Astronaut program fulfills that core mission," Dwayne
Brown noted.
NASA has been working with the U.S. Department of Education to
develop programs to get children excited about science and technology
careers, Deborah Brown told Education World, and the Educator Astronaut
program is a big part of that effort. "By giving teachers a chance
to experience science and technology at work…we are doing our part
to help that mission along."
Current astronauts also will be traveling around the United States
to talk about the program, Dwayne Brown said. "NASA sees this as
a way to spotlight one of our most treasured resources -- teachers."
For the first time since 1986, when the space shuttle Challenger
exploded on liftoff, killing the seven astronauts on board, including
Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space, NASA has assigned
a teacher-astronaut to a space flight. Barbara Morgan, the back-up
astronaut for McAuliffe in 1986, is scheduled to fly on a space
shuttle mission, but no date has been set.
To learn more about Barbara Morgan, see the Education
World e-interview Barbara
Morgan: Always a Teacher!.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
The Educator Astronauts will be assigned to space shuttle missions,
and some will travel to the International Space Station, Dwayne
Brown said. When they're not training for a specific mission, the
teacher-astronauts will speak to students and organizations.
Before they hit the road or the launch pad, Educator Astronauts
face almost a year of training at the
Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. They must meet the same
requirements as other astronauts-in-training, including rigorous
physical conditioning. Training includes a "Survivor" type stint,
in which teams of astronaut trainees are deposited at an isolated
location for several days to live off the land. "They have to know
safety measures, contingency plans -- everything," Dwayne Brown
said.
Those who want to help with NASA's education programs, but aren't
quite ready to suit up for space travel, can apply for NASA's
Earth Crew. NASA is seeking students, teachers, and other adults
interested in supporting the Educator Astronauts' Earth-based missions.
"For every one astronaut, there are hundreds of support people,"
Dwayne Brown said.
How to Apply:
Students can Nominate
a Teacher to the Educator Astronaut program, or teachers
can apply
themselves. Additional application information is available
on the Web site. |
Article by Ellen R. Delisio
Education World®
Copyright © 2003 Education World
03/24/2003
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